Page 5 of Investigate Away
Fuck. He could keep walking and ignore her, but then the whole way home, he’d hear his mother’s voice in his head as his conscience reminded him that a Bowie didn’t run from their problems and they were always respectful.
He spun on his heel. “Hey, Callie,” he said.
“Surprised to see me?”
He nodded. “More surprised that you’re chasing me down.”
“I hear congratulations are in order, Chief.”
He shrugged. “It was time for a change of pace. Langley is a nice, quiet town, and I love being away from the city.” Not wanting to stand idle, he continued toward his bike. “What brings you back to Seattle? Last I heard, you’d moved to San Francisco with Kara. She was a real hottie.”
“We did, but I’m here for a month to finish my book.” Callie let out a sarcastic laugh. “You know she bats for the other team, so keep your dick in your pants.”
“My dick is no longer your concern.”
“Thank God for small favors,” she said. “Did you get my book?”
He nodded.
“Have you read it?”
“No. And I don’t plan to read a smear campaign either. I mean Jesus, Callie, the title alone is a dig at my career.” He snagged his helmet and tucked it under his arm. “I don’t understand why you thought I’d be interested in reading your twisted view on how I botched the case when we both know I did everything by the book, with the exception of two things.” He held up his index finger. “And one of them I had no control over. But because I was lead, I took sole responsibility. But that’s not why the case is unsolved, and you know it.”
“You rushed the arrest, which is what started the ball rolling on a potential mistrial. And we both now know that it was all a setup with the DNA being contaminated from the beginning by the—”
He held up his hand. “I don’t need you to tell me for the hundredth time how and where I fucked up. Trust me, I know. I have to live with the knowledge that the murderer’s still out there every day. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a ferry to catch.”
Her long, warm fingers curled around his biceps.
He glanced down and looked at her short nails painted a light pink. “Let go, please.”
“I didn’t beat you up that bad.”
“Operative words beingthat bad,” he said as he let out an exasperated sigh. “What exactly do you want?”
“I want you to read the book, tell me what you think, maybe give me a quote.”
He laughed. “That, my love,” he said with a heavy dose of sarcasm. “Is never going to happen.”
“Then how about helping me find my sister’s killer, because I’ve dug up some things, and I’m not sure what to do with the information.”
“Sorry, I’m no longer in homicide. My last girlfriend helped get me fired.”
She laughed, shaking her head. “You were never fired, though perhaps I went a little too far with some of the things I said on the air. I’m sorry for that.”
“That apology is a little too late.” He tossed his leg over his bike and flipped up the kickstand. He hated to admit how much he’d missed Callie’s sweet face and her plump lips pressed against his in a passionate kiss. The engagement ring he’d bought for her still burned a hole in his underwear drawer. He knew he should probably sell it or something, but he just couldn’t get rid of it.
Not yet.
“If it makes you feel any better, I don’t think any news show would have me as a reporter,” she said.
“But you got a book deal, which will lead to more, which will eventually get you back in front of the camera.” He twisted the key and flipped the switch before pressing the on button.
The engine purred like a kitten.
“We both know Adam Wanton wasn’t the Trinket Killer and that he didn’t kill my sister. But we never once considered that the Trinket Killer didn’t work alone.”
“Actually, I did,” Jag said. “I didn’t tell you everything. Just because we shared a bed, didn’t mean I was going to jeopardize my case and job to give you an exclusive. I bent the rules enough as it was. However, the idea of a partner was ruled out based on DNA.”
